This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Administrative and Mentoring Core: The mentoring core provided salary support for the PI and for 5 senior mentors and core directors this reporting period. Travel expenses were covered for COBRE investigators presenting at national meetings and conferences. The period covered by this report represents the second year of the new project period. The level of activity increased markedly as we continue to recover from the devastation caused by Katrina In general, COBRE investigators were highly productive and substantial progress was made towards our goals. Ms. Nina R Majid has been the program coordinator since May 2007 and maintains all records related to the COBRE. She is responsible for the preparation and dissemination of newsletters from the Center. Two newsletters were completed during this period and one more is planned for this summer. Nina is responsible for maintaining the center web-site, informing web-site visitors with updated information of the center activities, COBRE past and current projects, news, calendar of events, and all functions related to the COBRE. She arranges regular monthly COBRE junior investigator meetings and the bi-weekly multi-departmental, multi-institutional Hypertension and Renal Center of Excellence Conference on alternate Thursday afternoons. She is also responsible for the preparation of the progress reports and orders supplies and equipments for all projects and ensures that the expenditures for each project remain within the allocated budgets.